Jessica Brandon

After reading Rachel Rudnick's rather interesting piece on gender terminology, I felt compelled to add my five cents (factoring inflation) because it amazes me how so many terms for transgendered people have cropped up over the last several years, like roaches crawling out of the woodwork. JeezLouise! This community has more labels for it's members than items on a Chinese take-out menu!

So, I come to you with this question regarding terminology, please forgive me if I sound Forrest-Gump-stupid when I ask this, but-Why?

When I started wearing women's clothing at the tender age of 14, I had no label to attach to what I was doing. It was ten long, frustrating years before I finally stumbled onto an issue of Penthouse Forum which featured the magic word right on the cover- CROSSDRESSING! Seeing this, I said to myself: "So that's what it's called!" Later on, I learned the other word transvestite, which I didn't particularly care for then and don't now.

In the good ol' days, I was content with just those two terms, thinking that was all there was. Then I entered the wide, wonderful world of the transgendered community and things suddenly became somewhat confused. All of a sudden, I learned there were heterosexual crossdressers (or transvestites), homosexual crossdressers (or transvestites), transsexuals, drag queens, female imper-sonators, androgynes, transgendered, higendered, crossgendered, etc., etc., etc. More labels than you can shake a WonderBra at!

Okay, okay! Before someone gets their panties in a bunch, I know full well that our community is incredibly multi-faceted, made up of all sorts of different people, each laying claim to a specific term, and, in some eases, protecting it with ferocious fervor, but where does the labeling end?

When I came out of the closet in 1991, I was already safe and secure in the knowledge of who and what I was, without the benefit of therapy, which might be viewed by some as a minor miracle. (It didn't hurt that I didn't suffer from gender dysphoria.)

But what about today's newcomers? To enter this community and be barraged by all these terms, not to mention the lack of knowledge regarding the division of sex and gender certainly won't help ease a newcomer's bewilderment over her own identity. In my position as a local outreach representative, I try to de-emphasize the importance of labels, especially to someone who might be unsure as to what they are in the first place. I think it's crucial for a person to decide on their own just who and what they are, minus outside influences.

As for me, whenever anyone asks what I am, I look them straight in the eye and tell them I'm a Democrat. That's a hell of a lot simpler than "Alrican-American, Het-erosexual, Retired Military Crossdresser." Beyond that, the only other label I'll answer to, the one label that should count the most in the hearts and minds of all of us, is this one... Human Being. Nothing more, nothing less.

Think about it, people. - Renaissance News